Your CBD checklist

Your CBD checklist

CBD is known to help in many areas of health but how? And is it safe to take? Here, our experts offer all the information you need to chose quality CBD.

Millions of Brits use CBD for a whole host of reasons, and this number seems to be rising all the time. But with the popularity, we have seen vast numbers of CBD products hit the shelves, and this has brough varying quality.

It’s important, therefore, that you know what you should look for when choosing CBD and the benefits it might be able to bring.

Oliver Briggs, founder of Healthstrong, explained: “The demand for CBD surged around three years ago after more people became aware about it as a food supplement, readily available and with a better understanding on how it was different to cannabis with high THC, the psychoactive element.  Popularity increased as users started to discover the many health benefits from CBD, word quickly spread and all of a sudden millions of people were using it in the UK alone!

“The best form is whatever works best for the user. Oils are the most popular and everyone is different, so whilst one user may get noticeable benefits quickly and on a low dosage, another user may take longer, even with a higher dosage.”

What is CBD?

Endopure make a range of CBD products, and its Quality Officer, Wilson Blaney, explained: “The cannabis family that includes hemp (Cannabis sativa L) contains over 120 known cannabinoids, chemical compounds which exhibit a range of physiological effects in humans. Cannabidiol (CBD) can be derived from most parts of the hemp plant. They are selectively extracted, concentrating CBD and removing or reducing psychoactive components such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCa), Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv) and Cannabinol (CBN), defined as controlled drugs under The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and should not be present in any consumer product.

“However, CBD and other minor cannabinoids such as Cannabigerol (CBG), are non-psychoactive and are therefore not controlled drugs. A food supplement product containing CBD must not exceed 1mg combined of any controlled drug when tested by an independent and accredited laboratory and in order to prove this, it is necessary to deploy highly sensitive analytical methods, such as those embedded into Endopure’s own approach to quality.”

Check the standards

There are some checks you can make to ensure the CBD you are choosing is of good quality.

Wilson explained: “We ensure that all of our products undergo extensive independent analysis from one of the world’s leading food safety authorities and one of few UK accredited testing laboratories. The food supplements are screened for controlled

drugs THC, THCa, THCv and CBN with highly sensitive instruments that can detect within 0.00025 per cent or more than 2.5mg per kilogram.

“Whilst the hemp crops are certified organic, Endopure provides extra assurance and screen for various pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals and other known contaminants inherent with hemp cultivation, especially in some popular growing regions throughout the world. All of the CBD products are only derived from hemp leaf and are subject to a number of rigorous quality and safety checks from testing of ingredients using cutting edge analytical technologies to scrutiny of finished product labelling by the compliance team of experts, all of which are subject to enforcement by the UK Trading Standards Agency. Most importantly, no medical claims should be implied or suggested regarding any CBD product, unless authorised by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).”

Oliver added: “I think there is more understanding now than three years ago but the main focus should be using a trusted brand and supplier, to ask about manufacturing standards, such as whether it is a GMP facility (Good Manufacturing Practice), extraction methods and to be clear about how much total CBD is in the product, which should be clearly labelled in milligrams. Current advice is to cap intake at 70mg daily.

“There is an element of experimentation and not all CBD is equal so find a product that will last for several months and adjust the dosage until any noticeable benefit, after which it can be reduced. If taking oil, keep it in the mouth under the tongue for 30-60 seconds as this can help with absorption, before swallowing. As brands vary, ask for a certificate of analysis and check they are reputable. If they are making any health claims they most probably aren’t as despite the proven benefits, there are no current authorised health claims allowed for CBD!”

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